It all started out with a simple Google search on a peaceful Friday night. I began searching "most underrated TV Series 2016" as I was frustrated to find a new series that could get my mind off waiting for Game of Thrones. I was particularly curious about this one series and immediately began to watch it. It was called Z Nation. So here I am watching another human made depiction of how a zombie apocalypse turns the world into chaos. By the way, this is not an advertisement but a complex journey to how the human mind works in finding inspiration to write.
As I was watching Z Nation and was slowly dragged into the fight between humanity and the undead, I discovered the that real fight was between hope and fear. It was hope to save humanity and fear for what seems to be a fatal end of the world. I began to dive in their imaginative world and asked myself, what would I do if I was stuck in that apocalyptic world. My brain automatically calculated dozens of survival strategy until I came to feel desperate as I realised, OMG that is not a world to raise children in. There goes my dream to have a happy family and grow old in a cute homey house while knitting socks and sweaters.
Though the enemy might not be zombie, the world I am living in awakens a fear of hopelessness all the same. What will happen to the next generation? The youth that is the future of the human race. With the increaing onumber of HIV infections, is this a good environment to start a family? How can I sleep peacefully at night, knowing that there are things that are important to know that I choose to ignore? Will my children be OK?
I read an article in Republika.co that believed that an important step to eradicate HIV/AIDS starts with the family. It seems logical. We spent our youngest and most important years inside our family. We learn to socialise through our family. Our first morals, values and principles are produced within the walls of our homes. How we act in the outside world somehow reflects how our family has taught us to be. The survivors of a zombie apocalypse also choose a pack and form a team that they call family. Those families shape how they react to problems that comes from being alive in a chaotic zombie world. In other words, our family, friends and our environment prepare us with ammunition to face the world. And in the world that we are living in, the best ammunition is knowledge.
So, I preach to myself that I should not be scared to want to start a family. I, as a future parent, will provide them with all the necessary knowledge to survive not only the zombie apocalypse but also the fight against HIV/AIDS. The first step is to equip ourselves with the proper understanding of the issue. Do not teach our children to ignore, but to face reality. But most importantly, teach ourselves to acknowledge the issue that is in front of us.
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My young-adult readers, the future starts with us. First published by Asia against AIDS-Back To Zero: Indonesia

How difficult can it be to find a nice place for an internship? I’m already on page 68 of 104 and still there isn’t anything I want to commit to. Come on Manoesj, keep going. I turn to page 69 (!) and there it is: Designers Against Aids. I go to the website and the first thing I see is “Sex with a bun in the oven”. All right DAA, you got my attention.
After some more research, I decide to go for it. After changing my e-mail five times, I hit send. Two weeks later, it’s time for my interview. There I am, standing in my red dress, ringing the wrong doorbell. Great start, Manoesj!
The ‘interview’ went great in my opinion. Ninette and I talked about my vacation, my study programme abroad and I even got to meet one of the cats! Spooky seems really nice.
Just when I wanted to leave, the weather changed completely. Out of nowhere the rain started pouring down. I guess I’ll take this sudden apocalypse as a good sign? In September I leave for Erasmus. This means that I will be studying abroad for five months! When I return I will start my internship at DAA. I’m pretty sure my last year in college is going to be awesome!

Pregnancy is a great time for sex. Not kidding. For one, you're not going to get pregnant again, at least not at the moment, so no worries there. And if you have any body image hang-ups (*angrily shakes fist at society*), you can go ahead and flush those down the toilet. Yes, you're huge, but you're supposed to be huge — you know, for the baby. None of this matters, though, because you're also riding some insane hormone surges that give you sudden desperate urges to have sex, like, now. Here are some crazy-hot ways to do it that are 100 percent pregnant-lady-approved.
1. Bun in the ovenYou're not supposed to lie on your back too much during the second and third trimesters, so straight-on missionary is pretty much off the menu. But if that's your favorite position, turn it on its side by putting a pillow under one side of your butt and back. Have him lie facing you on his side and intertwine his legs with yours. If your belly's getting in the way, he can lean his torso away from you and thrust more straight up into you. All the benefits of missionary — that is, you can just lie there (during pregnancy this will seem hugely appealing) — without the notable drawback of compressing the vena cava, a vein you'll be needing to properly Give Life and whatnot.2. Womb with a view Pregnancy means lots of doggy-style sex. Spice it up by moving to the living room and kneeling on the couch, facing the back. He'll also be in fine position to reach around and stroke your labia, which — like seemingly everything else on your body during these months — is swollen as hell. In this case though, that's a good thing. Real good. Oh, you'll see.3. Peas in a podSpooning is a good go-to position during the third trimester because your tremendous belly will be getting in the way of your Love (this will not be the last time your kid does this). To make it mind-blowing: hold a bullet vibrator on your clit by squeezing your legs tightly together as he rocks into you from behind. No better way to feel both turned on and well-loved than a cuddly spoon fuck.4. Bedside service Prop yourself up on a ton of pillows and sit at the edge of the bed, opening your legs wide. He can kneel or stand and adjust your pillow situation for height. Once you hit optimal pillow placement, rub your clit while you both watch his smooth, slow thrusts into your gorgeous round body. And if you can't reach your clit, have him rub it for you.5. The mama bear moanThere's a lot about the whole "birthing a child" experience that will make you feel animalistic and undignified (oh, just wait 'til you meet the breast pump). So embrace your primal nature by having him kneel on the bed and sitting back on his lap in sort of a kneeling reverse cowgirl — then do it like they do on the Discovery Channel (sorry, that song was gross, but you get it). Moan loudly and let yourself go feral. Cathartic and super hot.I think that even when you're not pregnant, these sex positions are worth a try, because why not? Just remember to always play it safe!From 'Asia against AIDS-Back To Zero: Indonesia'

When you think about condom advertisements, you think of the standard ones with a couple ready to crawl under the sheets to get ‘cosy’. But it doesn’t always have to be boring and ordinary, so I started looking for some really nice and striking condom campaigns. And yes, I found a lot of creative advertisements that are also quite memorable. To see them, I added a link below, so you can see them all for yourself and get inspired.
With this article I also want to emphasize the importance of using a condom. Because you might ask yourself: “Can sex still be fun with a condom?”.
Yes, of course it can! Using a condom isn’t a tool to measure the pleasure of intercourse at all. However, a lot of people still claim that sex isn’t as good with a condom because of the feeling of 'wearing a raincoat' down there.
To counter that, I wonder how the feeling of having HIV must feel, or having an STD, or getting pregnant by someone you don’t love enough, or you just not being ready to raise a child. There are absolutely no benefits to not using a condom, unless you see all the consequences above as benefits.
To get rid of that ‘raincoat rubber feeling’ I listed some tips & tricks to make sure a condom doesn’t ruin your happy times with your loved one, or whoever you want to have sex with.
Firstly it’s important to find a brand that you like, trial and error are the way to get there. The condom’s size is also pretty important; wearing a raincoat that’s too big or too small doesn’t feel good either, right?
Before you get to the fun part: it’s always handy to get out your condom first so you won’t have to look for it and interrupt everything. That makes it all a bit less awkward too. And use lubes, seriously, lubes are magic!
Did you know that a warm raincoat is always nicer than a cold one? Well it works exactly the same with condoms. Put it on, let it warm up a bit, do your thing. And if you still don’t like condoms, then use those super-thin condoms that feel like natural skin.
There you go, reasons enough to get wrapped up!
Have fun looking at these creative advertisements: http://deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/220316/10-condom-ads-that-went-viral-for-breaking-stereotype.html

The clock is ticking... In 2 hours' time (midday Brussels time on December 1st), the customised bags by Vetements, Kenzo, House of Holland, Nicopanda and 8 other great designers will be for sale here, for 500 euros per bag: http://artiststudio.eastpak.com/artists
There's only one of each, so if you want one, be fast!!!
Once again, Eastpak Artist Studio has succeeded in bringing together an impressive line-up of fashion designers from some of the world’s most renowned fashion houses. A diverse and exciting mix of creative vision, talent, and energy! All customized backpacks will be sold online from December 1st (World AIDS Day) with all porceeds going to support the work of Designers against AIDS.The designers are: Demna Gvasalia/VETEMENTS (pictured), KENZO, CHRISTOPHER RÆBURN, NICOPANDA, AMI PARIS, WANDA NYLON, HOUSE OF HOLLAND, JACQUEMUS, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI, ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER, INAN and the winner of the Wild Card, British fashion student Zeba Safdar.
Ever since its launch in 2010, Eastpak Artist Studio has inspired a breath-taking array of originality and artistic creativity. Offering some of the world’s most talented and creative minds a special-edition “blank” Padded Pak’r® backpack and with it, a “blank canvas” for expressing their own personal vision.
Redecorated, reconstructed, reinvented and reinterpreted, the 12 Eastpak Artist Studio artists have once again transformed Eastpak’s most iconic backpack into 12 unique works of art. To raise much needed funds for the charity organization Designers Against AIDS.
This year, some of the biggest names in the business have followed in the footsteps of Jean Paul Gauthier, Walter Van Beirendonck, Manolo Blahnik and other past contributors to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and improve the prospects for those affected by the disease around the world.
Don’t miss the opportunity to secure your own unique piece of this inspiring project. The creations from this year’s edition of Eastpak Artist Studio will go on sale for 500€ per unique bag via the website below on World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2016. As there's only ONE bag per designer, you'd better move fast.Read more here: http://artiststudio.eastpak.com/artists

Whether you like M&M's or Skittles, Reese’s or Snickers, one point everyone can agree on is this: the only thing better than a sugar high is a sex coma. Enjoy these decadent Halloween sex positions that, unlike candy, are guaranteed not to give you any cavities.
1. The spider
Sit his ass down in a wide chair and climb up so that you're facing him, putting your feet on the chair on either side of his bum. Wrap your arms loosely around his shoulders and let him appreciate the gorgeous visuals. Mix it up with long sweet kisses and opening and shutting your knees as you see fit. (Pro tip: afterwards, don't kill and eat him like a real spider.)
2. The bewitching bat
Lie on your back with your legs spread and knees bent. Your partner puts their hands together, bending their ring and middle fingers toward their palms. They slide their two pointer fingers inside of you and circle your clit with two thumbs. They move their fingers kinda like bat wings, you orgasm, everybody wins.
3. The broomstick ride
Have him lie on a narrow sturdy surface like a coffee table. Plant your feet on either side of the table and mount him facing his feet in a sort of elevated reverse cowgirl. Cast a spell over both of y'all by propping your hands on his legs and bending forward, leaning back, or tilting your pelvis to switch up the sensations. Circle your hips like you're stirring a cauldron for some extra hocus pocus.
4. The vampire's kiss
Lean back against a kitchen counter, wrap your leg around him and throw your head back to reveal a much under-appreciated erogenous zone: your neck. Grab his butt, squeeze and pull him in deeper, while he kisses and sucks your bare neck. Cape optional.
5. Trick oral treat
Put candy into service as BJ enhancer. Pop something smooth and round like Skittles, Reese's Pieces or M & M's onto your tongue and hold them against the underside of his shaft as you slide your mouth up and down (you can also use something minty or cinnamon-y if he's into more intense sensations. But ask first; not everyone appreciates surprise cinnamon.) Use your tongue to roll them around his head or wiggle them against the frenulum. Wrap a Red Vine or a strip of Laffy Taffy around this base of his shaft for a makeshift cock ring, then nibble it (carefully!) away.
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Who doesn't love Halloween? And now you can celebrate it in an even more interesting way - Happy (or should that be: Horny?) Halloween!With thanks to Cosmopolitan

If your company has the words ‘designers’ and ‘aids’ in its name, you can’t go without finding the perfect mix between fashion and charity. Which is why you need to check out our online charity store right away!
Designer bags made from half a century old textiles by Hmong tribes in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, new and vintage pieces from Prada, Marni and Balenciaga (to name but a few), handmade scarves embroidered in India, onesies designed by Keri Hilson and even hand stitched leather condom pouches in 3 different colours by Véronique Branquinho for Delvaux (a big hit in Japan); you can find all of that and more in our online store.
Besides all of those incredible designer clothes and accessories, you can also find our own collection of DAA tees. All of them are made in collaboration with numerous designers and artists such as Robert Smith from The Cure and Francisco Costa from Calvin Klein. What makes them even more special is the fact that they are made by Fair Trade company Sense Organics. The slogan T-shirts are made of organic cotton, which makes them nice and soft to wear- and good for the environment. Because for DAA, caring doesn't stop at safe sex.
Every cent of the sales goes directly to Designers Against Aids to support our international projects and our awareness campaigns.
What's better than shopping incredible clothes and accessories and help raise awareness for HIV/AIDS at the same time? Nothing, right?!
Click on the link below to check it out!
http://designersagainstaids.tictail.com/
Do you have any designer pieces yourself that you would like to donate to Designers Against Aids? Don’t hesitate to contact us or simply visit us at the DAA Headquarters in Deurne.

Bad news people, my internship has unfortunately come to an end and it’s time for another chapter in my study career.
I can absolutely not believe how fast these 8 weeks went by. On the one hand I feel like I have been here for 5 minutes, figural speaking. On the other hand I feel like I’ve been here for ages since I pretty much feel at home here. Way to many memories and a lot of experiences to all type them out. But I’ve learned so much in my precious time here. My English has improved, my writing skills have improved, I know how to make a good presentations, … It’s true what they say: you can learn so much at school, but you’ll only know how to use that knowledge until you actually try it out. Which is why an internship is the best way to prepare you for the ‘real’ world.At DAA you get a lot of responsibility and various assignments you can work on and you can add assignments yourself if you’d like to do something special. All of my your work is being checked, for example my articles were read through by Ninette and she sent me back the checked version so I could reread them and know what I could do better or where I made a language mistake. I’ve got so many tips that made my writing a lot better! I am going to miss this place, the cats, the smoothies, Ninette and Péke, … but it’s not the end of the world, since I’m definitely coming around to help out DAA with a few things, and to just have a chat over here. Working at DAA is not only doing something good for the world, it also makes you a better person. You get to know yourself, what you are best at and what you can do better. My internship was just amazing! Thank you very much DAA!

For the past few years plus size models have been an actual topic in the fashion industry and we have reached a lot already in changing people's attitudes about what makes a beautiful body, which is a good thing. But have you noticed that it’s almost always about female models?
I feel like men are being forgotten sometimes when it comes to the insecurity that the fashion industry and role models can trigger in everyone who doesn't have what's considered to be the 'perfect' body.
Until last week, when the first male plus size model was introduced by the famous agency IMG Models. They decided to start a division called ‘Brawn’ for bigger men and they kicked it off with Zach Miko, a handsome guy that could be your neighbour -and someone that a lot of men can relate to.
Everyone should be entitled to wear the fashionable clothes they like, not only people who fit the standard model sizes. Every brand should take this into consideration and make a change, so that every person can wear an outfit that flatters him or her. That's how everything should be for every brand. We have been told what the right way to look like is and what beautiful is for decades, but today it’s more about how what YOU decide is beautiful.
Plus size isn’t a trend; it’s the right direction into being positive about everyone’s body, as long as it’s healthy.
Not only women deal with the insecurities that come with body image, men do too. We need to step out of the thought that men can’t have body-image issues and don’t have a desire to feel and look good. They also need be able to relate to models that are realistic and not only models with the standard 6-pack.
How is it possible to be happy if the whole fashion industry tries to tell you that you have to change the way you look?

We all know there’s a problem around HIV (read yesterday’s blog) and that discrimination is still a current problem. If you combine those two problems, it gets even bigger. The fact is that there is a lot of gender inequality when it comes to having HIV. And that resolves into the fact that there is just not enough response to the disease.
Certainly women and young girls have a hard time when it comes to preventing HIV and getting infected with the virus. No less than one in five new infections in Africa are among females and it still remains the leading cause of death among African women. They are also three times as likely as men of the same age to be living with HIV.
For women who are at a higher risk of violence and discrimination, such as transgender women, sex worker, migrants and women with disabilities, it’s even worse.
Because of the inequality for those women -which also includes traditional practices like female circumcision- they have limited access to health services, education and employment. This leads to even more discrimination and stigma, which makes women extra vulnerable for HIV. It's a vicious circle and therefore a serious problem.
If you think about the fact that there are still so many women who have to fight so hard to just get access to health care and education, I feel like the world and society have definitely failed.
To help these women, it’s important to tackle all the causes. Making sure that women have a place to go to where they are safe and where they can talk about domestic violence. Making sure that harmful circumcisions are being banned everywhere. Making sure that women have access to decent education and health care.
Even though a lot of organisations are trying to fix all of these problems, there's still so much to do.
I’ve never understood why women or people of colour are being treated differently; we are all humans with a brain and heart, what is the difference?
So can we please finally stop discriminating each other now?

From my experience I know that it’s not always easy for young people to talk about HIV/AIDS. Even in modern times like these, where talking about sex is not really a taboo anymore, HIV and AIDS are. It’s easy to find information online, but isn’t it always nicer to talk about it with a friend or a family member? I also feel as if a lot of people don’t really know what HIV and AIDS exactly are, how you can get it, what the consequences are, or what measures you need to take if you get infected with the virus.
And the fact that not a lot of people directly talk about HIV and AIDS evolves in a lot of myths that go around the world.
HIV is thought of as something that only drug users or people that are sexually very promiscuous get. That is absolutely not true, since you only need one occasion to get infected with the HIV virus. Of course drug abuse and having multiple sexual partners increase the risk of getting infected, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get infected if you don’t take drugs or had/have sex with only one person. Having serial monogamous relationships doesn’t mean you don’t need to get yourself tested each time you start a new one. Another myth that people like to believe is that HIV/AIDS is only a problem for gay men and people of colour. Every person has the chance of getting infected regardless of their skin colour or sexual preference.
Not knowing the facts doesn’t mean they're not there. Procrastinating is the worst thing you can do, since in case you're infected you might transfer the virus to more people and you don’t want that, right?Getting tested will make you feel more secure about yourself and might make you more comfortable too when it comes to having fun in bed. Does having HIV mean that you will die soon? No, absolutely not, thanks to treatment you can live to an old age. The drugs that you need to take could have an influence on your heart and kidneys however and can also casue osteopororis and other diseases. But infected HIV people are expected to become approximately 75 years.
That being said, I want to stress the importance of getting tested. It is not hard, it is not far away, you just have to do it. Go see a doctor, or go to a hospital or sexual health clinic and ask for a HIV test.And don’t forget to use a condom at all times to prevent you from HIV as well as STD’s. Like we say at DAA: “Wrap it up before you fuck it up!”

Have you ever thought about the fact that ‘nude’ is actually not nude at all? Well for me it’s easy, I can buy the standard nude and I take it for granted, but I can also imagine not everyone has the same skin colour as me. To say the least! 84% of the world’s population has a skin colour other than the nude we know now. How silly is it that those people can’t find clothes in their own ‘nude’?
Think about all the nude shoes, the nude underwear, nude lipsticks, nude bra’s, nude hosiery, nude nail polish, bandages… and I can just keep on going. How wrong is it that in 2016 we still have that problem? Nude means literally naked, but how is it nude if it doesn’t work for everyone.
Men and women of colour are still fighting for their beauty to be recognised and not to be seen as ‘the different ones’. They shouldn’t go to a specialty store or pay loads of money to get a real nude piece. That is just ridiculous!
Björn Borg looked into the problem and came up with an innovative solution. They launched an underwear collection called “the Skin Collection” –that is based on the Fitzpatrick skin scale, which has found six different shades. Now a lot more men and women can find panties that match their skin colour.
A big step towards equal rights to everyone with a different skin colour other than the “pale skin’s nude”. I hope Björn Borg’s campaign will be an inspiration for many other brands to introduce a nude collection that is actually corresponds with a person’s skin colour!

Enter the student's territory and follow the days of their lives at DAA's Youth For A Better World Education Center.On this page the students of the Education Center will tell you everything about their stay at DAA, from the things they learn and the campaigns they create to what they have for breakfast, this blog will be their online diary: an opportunity for them to share their experiences and to give you a sneak peak into the life at DAA, where they learn to use their creativity for the good of society. Enjoy the ride!